Lab Created Diamonds?
ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS REAL DIAMONDS?
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds, and are just as hard. Diamonds that were found in nature take billions of years to form, while lab-grown diamonds can be formed in just a few weeks.
WHAT ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS KNOWN AS?
Different sources use different names to refer to lab-grown diamonds. For example, you might see lab-created diamonds, cultured diamonds, engineered diamonds, synthetic diamonds and even man-made diamonds. If you see a stone with any of these names, just know you’re likely getting a diamond that’s been grown in a lab.
SHOULD I BUY A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND?
Our science has made it possible to have beautiful, sparkling jewellery at a fraction of the price of natural diamonds. We make them every day and in bigger batches, so they’re perfect to light up more moments, like beach getaways and birthdays.
HOW ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS MADE?
There are a few methods used to grow lab-grown diamonds. Typically, lab-grown diamonds start with a tiny lab grown diamond, like a seed. The seeds are placed in a chamber called a plasma reactor (in the case of CVD synthesis) or a large mechanical press (if manufactured by HPHT). Then, depending on the technology used, some combination of heat, pressure and a carbon source are used to make the crystals grow, layer by layer.
HOW ARE DIAMONDS CREATED IN A LAB?
THE CVD METHOD
CVD stands for chemical vapor deposition.
Lab grown diamond seeds are loaded into a CVD reactor. Then, a mix of gasses containing carbon is added at a very low pressure. Microwaves are added to heat the gases and generate a plasma. When the temperatures climb over several thousand degrees, the gas molecules break apart and carbon atoms bond to the seeds, growing them one layer at a time.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GROW A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND?
In the wild, natural diamonds take billions of years to grow. But with our ground-breaking technology, we can grow lab-grown diamonds big enough to cut into jewelry in a few weeks.
